One in three Americans believes authorities should make another attempt to execute a prisoner if the first attempt fails, while a larger share favours life imprisonment instead, according to a nationwide survey conducted after a botched lethal injection in Tennessee.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 39% of respondents preferred life in prison for inmates who survive an execution attempt. Around 33% supported trying again, while 26% were undecided about what authorities should do in such circumstances.
The findings come amid renewed scrutiny of execution procedures and the legal questions surrounding repeated attempts to carry out a death sentence.
The debate has intensified following the case of Christa Pike, a 50-year-old Tennessee death row inmate who survived two lethal injection attempts in Nashville last month. Pike was taken to hospital unconscious and in critical condition, suffering severe injuries to her arms after the attempts failed to kill her. She reportedly remained unconscious for five days before regaining consciousness.
The incident marked Tennessee’s second botched lethal injection this year, raising further questions about the reliability and consequences of the procedures used to carry out capital punishment.
Support for the death penalty continues to decline
Although a majority of Americans still favour capital punishment for the most serious crimes, public backing appears to have weakened over time.
The survey found that 55% of respondents supported the death penalty, compared with 63% in a similar poll conducted in 2017. Meanwhile, 31% opposed capital punishment, while 13% either declined to answer or were unsure of their position.
The figures reflect a country divided over whether execution remains an appropriate punishment, particularly when the process itself fails and leaves prisoners alive after potentially traumatic medical procedures.
Capital punishment has also faced practical challenges in the United States. Twenty-three states have abolished the death penalty, while several others continue to encounter difficulties obtaining the drugs required for lethal injections. These problems have prompted some authorities to explore alternative execution methods, including firing squads.
Courts confront the question of repeat executions
The legal debate over failed executions has gained momentum as courts consider whether states can attempt to carry out a death sentence a second time.
The US Supreme Court recently allowed a state to move forward with scheduling another execution after an earlier attempt failed.
Kenneth Smith’s case in Alabama has become a prominent example. Smith, who was convicted in a 1988 murder-for-hire case, survived an execution attempt in 2022 after officials failed to establish intravenous access. Authorities ultimately executed him in 2024 using nitrogen gas, a method that had not previously been used for an execution in the United States.
Such cases have brought the legal and ethical implications of repeated execution attempts into sharper focus, particularly when the first attempt results in serious physical harm.
Public rejects televising executions
The survey also examined attitudes towards a separate controversy involving plans to broadcast an execution publicly.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had raised the possibility of livestreaming the planned firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan, a former US Army major convicted in connection with the 2009 Fort Hood shooting in Texas, which killed 13 people.
The proposal drew widespread criticism, including from Republican lawmakers. President Donald Trump subsequently cancelled the livestream plans, although officials still intended to carry out Hasan’s execution on December 3.
Public opinion on the proposed execution method was divided along political lines. Overall, 46% of respondents considered a firing squad an appropriate way to execute Hasan, including 29% of Democrats and 71% of Republicans.
However, opposition to broadcasting executions was considerably stronger. Around 71% of those surveyed said showing executions on television or the internet was inappropriate, with majorities of both Democrats and Republicans sharing that view.
The findings suggest that support for capital punishment does not necessarily translate into approval of every method used to carry it out or the public display of an execution.
The nationwide online poll collected responses from 1,679 US adults and had a margin of error of approximately two percentage points.
